Ratified by a mail-ballot vote of the North American Membership
of the Regional Science Association International, 1989
Amended
by two-thirds vote of the North American Regional Science Council
at the 38th North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association
International
November 7, 1991
New Orleans, Louisiana
Amended
by two-thirds vote of the North American Regional Science Council
at the 44th North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association
International
November 6, 1997
Buffalo, New York
Article
I. Name
The
name of the body shall be the North American Regional Science
Council.
Article
II. Scope and Objectives
Section
A. Scope of the Organization
The North American Regional Science Council shall
represent the affiliated and common interests of the various regional
science organizations of the North American Continent. The Council
shall operate as an objective, scientific body without political,
social, financial, or nationalistic bias. The Council
shall support its objectives by promoting acquaintance and discussion
among regional scientists and with scholars in related fields, by
encouraging the publication of scholarly studies, and by performing
services to aid the advancement of the field of regional science.
The Council shall serve as the organizational body
representative of North American interests with respect to the Regional
Science Association International.
Section
B. Objectives
The main objectives of the Council shall be:
(1)
to foster the exchange of ideas within the North American scholarly
community of regional scientists;
(2) to encourage the exchange of ideas between North American scholars
and regional scientists throughout the world;
(3) to promote studies focusing in the region and the utilization
of tools, methods, and theoretical frameworks specifically designed
for regional analysis, as well as concepts, procedures, and analytical
techniques of the various social and other sciences.
Article
III. Membership
Section
A. Eligible Member Organizations
Organizations which shall be eligible to become Member Organizations
upon ratification of this Constitution per Article VIII, Section
B are the following five (5) North American regional science organizations:
Canadian
Regional Science Association
Midcontinent Regional Science Association
North East Regional Science Association
Southern Regional Science Association
Western Regional Science Association.
Additional
Member Organizations may be approved by the vote of at least two-thirds
of the total number of voting Councillors currently authorized per
Article III, Sections B, C, and D.
Section
B. Appointment of Voting Councillors by Member Organizations
Each Member Organization shall, through its own procedures, appoint
one (1) of its members to serve as a North American Councillor.
Each such Councillor shall have the right to vote on all matters
coming before the Council.
Section
C. Election of Voting Councillors-at-Large
Five (5) additional Councillors shall be elected by vote of the
current membership of the Regional Science Association International
resident in North America. Nominations for such Councillor-at-Large
positions shall be solicited from the entire eligible voting membership.
The ballot distributed by the Council shall contain,
in a single list, sufficient names selected from the nominations
so as to provide a variety of choices to fill all open Councillor-at-Large
positions, as well as spaces for writing in additional names. Voters
may vote for any number of individuals up to a maximum of the number
of open positions as specified on the ballot. Elections shall be
held annually, with normally one or two of the five Councillor-at-Large
positions to be filled.
Section
D. President as a Voting Councillor
The individual selected by the Council per Article
V, Section A as its President shall serve as an additional voting
Councillor during the term of office as President, unless that individual
is, during the same time, a voting Councillor per Article III, Section
B or C.
Section
E. Nonsimultaneity of Terms of Office of Voting Councillors
No individual shall serve simultaneously as a Councillor appointed
by a Member Organization (per Article III, Section B) and as an
elected Councillor-at-Large (per Article III, Section C). In the
event that an individual is appointed by a Member Organization and
is also elected as a Councillor-at-Large for terms which would be
concurrent, in whole or in part, the individual shall serve only
the term as appointed Councillor per Article III, Sections B and
F, and the individual receiving the next greatest number of votes
for the position(s) as Councillor(s)-at-Large shall serve the term
as elected Councillor per Article III, Sections C and F.
Section
F. Term of Office for Voting Councillors
The term of office for voting Councillors is three (3) years, except
for the President who serves, per Article III, Section D and Article
V, Section A, for one (1) year. All terms shall normally begin on
January 1 of the year following election or appointment and end
on December 31 of the third year of service. Councillors appointed
by Member Organizations shall be eligible for reappointment to additional
terms of service at the discretion of the Member Organization. In
the event that an appointed Councillor is unable to serve out a
full term, the Member Organization may appoint a replacement to
fill the unexpired portion of the term. Councillors-at-Large may
not be elected for two consecutive, regular three-year terms of
office, but may be elected for a maximum of two consecutive terms
if the first such term is a special term that includes only one
Annual Council Meeting. In the event that a Councillor-at-Large
is unable to serve out a full term of office for any reason, and
such unexpired term of office shall include one or more Annual Council
Meetings, a replacement shall be elected at the time of the next
regular election for a special term to consist of the unexpired
portion of the term. In a year in which such position(s) is (are)
to be filled, the individual(s) receiving the greatest number of
votes shall be elected for the available full-term position(s) and
that (those) individual(s) receiving the next greatest number(s)
of votes shall be elected for the special term(s). If two or more
special terms are to be filled, the terms shall be filled in descending
order of length. In the event that the need for one or more replacement
Councillors-at-Large becomes known subsequent to the printing of
election ballots, but prior to an Annual Council Meeting, the provisions
of this Article pertaining to the filling of special terms shall
also apply.
Section
G. Alternates and Proxies
Councillors-at-Large may not designate other individuals to exercise
proxy powers. In the event, however, that a Councillor appointed
by a Member Organization is unable to attend any meeting of the
Council:
(1) the Member Organization may inform the Chair of the Council,
in advance of the meeting, of an alternate Councillor to represent
the absent Councillor; or
(2) in the absence of the appointment of such alternate, the regularly
appointed Councillor may designate another member to exercise proxy
powers by informing the Chair, in advance of the meeting.
Alternate
Councillors and persons holding proxy powers shall be well-informed
of current and past Council agendas.
Section
H. Ex-Officio Councillors
Individuals holding the following offices, unless already voting
Councillors per Article III, Sections B or C, shall serve as ex
officio, nonvoting Councillors throughout their respective terms
of such office:
(1)
The Immediate Past-Chair of the Council (a position
defined by Article V, Section C)
(2) The Executive Director of the Council (as defined
by Article V, Section D)
(3) Councillors of the Regional Science Association International
appointed by the North American Regional Science Council
(positions defined by Article V, Section E)
(4) The Executive Director of the Regional Science Association International
(5) The Treasurer of the Regional Science Association International
(6) The Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, and North American Editor(s)
of Papers in Regional Science: The Journal of the Regional Science
Association International.
Article
IV. Procedures and Responsibilities
Section
A. Procedures
Rules governing:
(1)
necessary procedures not specified in this Constitution,
and
(2) the conduct of the policy and the affairs of the Council
shall
be made by vote of the Council.
Section
B. Responsibilities
The Council shall have full responsibility for:
(1)
accepting new Member Organizations (per Article III, Section A);
(2) electing officers (per Article V, Sections B, D, and E);
(3) selecting the Host, individual(s) to serve as Coordinator(s),
and site of the annual North American Regional Science Meetings;
the Host may be a Member Organization, a University or one of its
subdivisions, an institution or other entity, or a combination of
a Member Organization and a University, institution, or other entity;
in selecting sites the Council shall strive to
hold the Meetings in spatially separate portions of North America;
normally, the same Host shall not be chosen for successive Meetings;
(4) specifying matters concerning the dates, organizational procedures,
finances, and conduct of the annual North American Meetings;
(5) electing, with the consultation of the selected Meetings Coordinator(s),
an appropriate, distinguished regional scientist or other distinguished
scholar to serve as President of the Council;
(6) nominating (upon the advice of, and in consultation with, the
current Editor-in-Chief and North American Editor) the new North
American Editor(s) of Papers in Regional Science: The Journal
of the Regional Science Association International; providing
direction regarding the editing and production of the journal;
(7) carrying out all other matters deemed necessary by the Council
appropriate to its Scope and Objectives (as set forth in Article
II).
Article
V. Officers
Section
A. President
At each annual North American Regional Science Meetings the Council
shall elect its next President. The President's principal duty shall
be to deliver the Presidential Address at the Meetings. The President's
term of office shall be for one calendar year beginning on the January
1 following election. While in office, the President may serve as
a voting Councillor, per Article III, Section D.
Section
B. Chair
At each regularly scheduled Annual Council Meeting, it shall elect
from among its current membership a person to serve as its next
Chair. The term of this office shall be for one calendar year, beginning
on the January 1 following election. In the event that the term
as Chair extends beyond the individual's tenure as a voting Councillor
per Article III, Section F, the Chair becomes during such extension
period an additional voting Councillor. In the event that an individual
is unable to serve out a full term for any reason, this office shall
remain vacant until the next Annual Council Meeting with the duties
to be carried out by the Immediate Past-Chair. The office of Chair
shall be a working, not a ceremonial, post. The Chair shall:
(1) serve as chair at meetings of the Council;
(2) approve and emend agendas of meetings in advance of distribution
to Councillors;
(3) plan and chair the Annual Luncheon Program at the North American
Regional Science Meetings held during the term of office as Chair;
(4) set directions for policy and provide leadership in all matters
coming before the Council.
Section
C. Immediate Past-Chair
Normally, following the completion of the term of office as Chair,
the individual having served in such office shall succeed to hold
the office of Immediate Past-Chair for a subsequent term of one
year. In the event that the term as Immediate Past-Chair extends
beyond the individual's tenure as a voting Councillor per Article
III, Section F, the Immediate Past-Chair becomes during this extension
period an ex officio, nonvoting Councillor per Article III, Section
H. In the event that an individual is unable to serve out a full
term for any reason, this office shall remain vacant until the next
regular succession from Chair to Immediate Past-Chair shall take
place. The duties of the Immediate Past-Chair shall be to provide
assistance and counsel to the Chair in the conduct of the affairs
of the Council. In the absence of the Chair, the
Immediate Past-Chair shall discharge the duties of Chair.
Section
D. Executive Director
The Council shall elect an individual to hold the
office of Executive Director, who also shall serve during the term
of office as an ex officio, nonvoting Councillor. Candidates for
selection shall not be limited to current Councillors. The Executive
Director shall not, however, serve concurrently as a voting Councillor.
In the event that a voting Councillor is so-selected, the remaining
portion of the term as voting Councillor shall be filled per the
appropriate portions of Article III, Section F. The Executive Director
shall serve at the pleasure of the Council for
a term or terms as specified by the Council. Whereas
the Chair of the Council shall serve as the lead
agent in setting policy, the duties of the Executive Director shall
be to carry out such policy and to provide continuity of advice
to the Council and to the Hosts and Coordinators
of the annual North American Regional Science Meetings. The Executive
Director shall discharge the duties normally associated with the
offices of Secretary and Treasurer of a similar organization and
shall be responsible for:
(1)
drafting the initial agendas of meetings for approval and emendation
by the Chair; distributing approved versions to Councillors;
(3) providing timely notification to Councillors of forthcoming
meetings; preparing and distributing minutes of past meetings;
(4) coordinating the planning and conduct of annual North American
Regional Science Meetings in concert with the selected Hosts and
Coordinator(s);
(5) conducting an annual, open Business Meeting at which Council
activity is reported and input is received from members of the North
American and world regional science communities;
(6) maintaining open channels of communications and coordinating
Council activities with Member Organizations and
with the Regional Science Association International;
(7) performing all other duties as specified by, or consistent with,
the actions or intent of the Council.
Section
E. Councillors of the Regional Science Association International
The Council shall appoint councillors of the Regional
Science Association International to fill positions for terms as
specified in the constitution of the international association.
Candidates for selection shall not be limited to the current membership
of the North American Council. In the event that
an individual holding such a position is not a voting member of
the Council, or if the individual's tenure as an
international councillor extends for a term or portion of a term
not concurrent with a term as voting Councillor, the international
Councillor serves as an ex officio, nonvoting Councillor per Article
III, Section H.
Section
F. Nonsimultaneity of Terms of Office with Service as Meetings Coordinator
An individual holding either of the offices of Chair or Executive
Director shall not be appointed by the Council to serve simultaneously
as a Coordinator of an annual North American Regional Science Association
Meeting.
Article
VI. Meetings of the Council
Section
A. Annual Council Meeting
An Annual Council Meeting shall take place in conjunction with the
annual North American Regional Science Meetings.
Section
B. Additional Meetings and Polling of the Council
In exceptional circumstances or upon agreement at the Annual Council
Meeting, the Chair of the Council may call additional
meetings or poll the voting Councillors to achieve necessary actions.
Section
C. Attendance at Meetings
Meetings of the Council shall be closed to all
persons except Councillors and those invited by the Council
or its Chair to inform the Council regarding its
affairs.
Article
VII. Awards
Section
A. Annual Presentation of Awards
The Council will present at least one award each year to a North
American member (or past member) of the Regional Science Association
International.
Section
B. Criteria for Selection of Awardee(s)
The North American Regional Science Council award(s)
will be granted to North American members who have either:
a.
promoted the discipline of Regional Science by activities that have
made scholars and practitioners aware of the value of being involved
in regional science activities and professional associations, or
b.
have made significant contributions to advancing knowledge and understanding
of questions of scientific inquiry and practical importance to regional
science.
Separate
awards as specified under criteria b. may be made to "senior"
and "junior" scholars.
Section
C. Procedures for Selection of Awardee(s)
The awardees will be selected by an Honors Committee made up of
the President and two most immediate Past Presidents and chaired
by the Council's Immediate Past President. The Honors Committee
may receive nominations from any member of the Regional Science
Association International. The Committee should make every effort
to include young scholars as awardees (within ten years of receiving
a Ph.D.) in addition to mid-career and older scholars.
Section
D. Nature of the Physical Awards
Each award should be a plaque or medallion inscribed with the reason
for the award (see Section B, criteria a or b), the date and the
name of the recipient. The cost of the awards will be included in
the North American meeting registration fee.
Article
VIII. Amendments
By
a vote of at least two-thirds of the total votes currently authorized
per Article III, Sections B, C, and D, and the special provisions
of Article V, Section B, the Council may amend
this Constitution.
Article
IX. Ratification and Initial Implementation of this Constitution
Section
A. Ratification Vote
This Constitution shall be considered to have been
ratified, and the provisions specified herein to take effect, immediately
upon approval by a simple majority vote of the current membership
of the international Regional Science Association resident in North
America. This vote shall be conducted by the Secretary of the international
Regional Science Association.
Section
B. Ratification by Member Organizations and Initial Appointment
of Councillors
To expedite establishment of the Council, it is
requested that each of the five eligible Member Organizations listed
in Article III, Section A establish procedures to act on ratification,
and thus to activate its membership, prior to July 1, 1989. Upon
ratification, the Member Organization shall inform the Secretary
of the international Regional Science Association of its appointment
of a North American Councillor. In order to achieve continuity and
a desirable staggering of terms, the term of office of each such
initial Councillor shall be specified as one, two, or three years
by the Council at its first Annual Meeting.
Section
C. Initial Election of Councillors-at-Large
An initial election for five (5) Councillors-at-Large, positions
as defined in Article III, Section C, shall be conducted under the
supervision of the Secretary of the international Regional Science
Association as soon as feasible following the ratification vote
specified in Article VIII, Section A. Two (2) of these positions
shall be considered as full, three-year terms, two (2) as special
two-year terms, and one (1) as a special one-year term. These positions
shall be filled in accordance with the regular provisions of Article
III, Sections C, E, and F.
Section
D. Initial Annual Council Meeting
An initial Annual Council Meeting shall be convened by the Secretary
of the international Regional Science Association. The first agenda
item at this Meeting shall be the election of an individual to serve
as Chair for a special term that shall commence immediately upon
election and shall continue until the conclusion of the Annual North
American Meetings held during the subsequent year. |
